Voltage controlled toaster timer



March 25, 1941. OLSON v 2,236,377

VOLTAGE CONTROLLED TOASTER TIMER Filed Aug. 15, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,3 4 INVENTOR HENRYL. OLSON ATTORNEY March 25, 194-1. 1 H. L, OLSON I 2,236,377

VOLTAGE CONTROLLED TOASTER TIMER Filed Aug. 15, 1940 .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR /JI 5 H/vnyLOLso/v ATTORNEY March 25, 1941. L QLSQN 2,236,377

voumer: CONTROLLED TOASTER TIMER Filed Aug. 15. 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet s SQ I INVENTOR HswR Y L 01. so/v RNY Patented Mar. 25, 1941 2,236,377 VOLTAGE con'raoimn 'ross'rsa rmna Henry L. Olson. Elgin, 111., assignor to McGraw Electric Company, Elgin, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application August 15, 1940, Serial N0. 352,725

6Claims.

My invention relates to intermittently operable cooking appliances and particularly to timer controlled electric toasters.

An object of my invention is to provide a rela- 5 tively simple means for varying the duration of a toasting operation in an electric toaster.

Another object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple voltage controlled means for varying the speed of operation of a mechanical timer controlling the duration of a cooking operation.

Still another object of my invention is to pro.- vide voltage controlled electromagnetic means for varying the duration of a cooking operation pro- 15 vided by a constant speed timer.

Still another object oi my invention is to provide voltage controlled electromagnetic means for varying the interfltting overlap of a latch and-a detent for varying the duration of a toasting operation.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an electric toaster embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through a toaster taken on the line 3-8 of Fig.

4, the parts being shown in non-toasting positions,

Fig. 4 is a vertical lateral sectional view taken 30 on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, with the parts shown in the same positions as they occupy in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view taken on the line s s of Fig. 4, the parts being shown in nontoasting positions,

Fig.,7 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 6 except that the parts are shown in toasting positions, and,

4 Fig. 8 is a diagram of the electric circuits of the toaster.

An electric toaster assembly 2| may comprise a skeleton frame 23 of moulded composition material now used in the art which skeleton frame 45 has suitably secured against its upper surface a base plate 25. The base plate 25 has resting thereon the lower edge of an outer casing 2 1 which casing may comprise two side walls and a front and a rear wall. A cover member 29 may 50 have interfltting engagement with the upper flanged edge portion of the outer casing 21, all in a manner well known in the art.

The toaster assembly includes a plurality of vertically-extending planar heating elements each including one or more sheets of electric Cab insulating material it, such as mica, on which there may be wound a resistor strip 33, all in a manner well known in the art. The lower edge portions of the mica sheets 3| may have interfltting engagement. with the bottom plate 25 or 5 may be held thereon in proper vertically-spaced positions by any, suitable means not pertinent to my invention. The upper end portions of the mica sheets 3| may be held by interfitting engagement with top frame plates 3. the front and the rear end portions of which may be secured to a front intermediate wall 31 and a rear intermediate wail 39 and guide and guard wires 4| may be suspended from and supported by the top frame plate 35, all in a manner well known in the art. The top frame plates 35, of which I provide as many as the design of the toaster calls for as to the number of slices of bread to be toasted simultaneously, are each provided with an opening therethrough registering with an opening 43 in the cover member 29 to permit of inserting fresh slices of bread into the toastin chambers and of removing the toasted slices of bread therefrom in a manner now well known in the art.

Means for supporting one or more slices of bread may include one or several bread carriers 45 which are spaced between pairs of spacedapart toast heating elements and these bread carriers have vertical movement relatively to the heating element, from the position shown in Fig.

3 of the drawings which is their upper or nontoasting position, to a lower position where the entire surfaces of slices of bread resting thereon will be subjected to radiant heat from the planar heating elements. The rear and front end portions of the carriers extend through cooperating slots in the rear and in the front intermediate wall and the front end portions of the bread carriers may be connected by a cross bar 41 of 4 substantially channel shape which cross bar 41 may constitute a rear carriage plate, as will be hereinafter described in detail.

A front carriage plate 49 is also provided, these two members 41 and 49 being spaced apart by l studs II of which four are provided and rollers 53 are rotatably mounted on the plurality of studs II so that the carriage plates may have vertical movement on two vertically-extending standards 55. The lower ends of these studs may have interfitting engagement with the base plate 25 while the upper end portions thereof may have interflttlng engagement with front end portions of the top frame plates 35, all as is now used in the art. If desired I may provide a top 55 cross bar 51 also interfitting with the upper ends of the standards 55. The front carriage plate 48 is provided with a forwardly-extending bar 59 projecting through a slot in the front wall of 5 casing 21 on which an actuating knob 8| may be mounted in front of and outside of, the casing portion 21. Downward pressure of an operator on knob 6| will cause downward movement of the carriage plates and of the bread carriers, all as now known in the art. A bias coil spring 63 has its upper end connected to a bracket 65 secured against the front surface of the front intermediate wall 31 and has its lower end connected to any portion of the carriage plate assembly so that the spring 63 will bias the bread carriers to their upper or non-toasting position substantially as shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

Means for controlling the energization of the toast heating elements including more particularly the resistor conductors 33 may include a pair of contact members 81 insulatedly mounted on the base plate 25 and a contact bridging member 69 carried by a support II by one end of which the contact bridging member 69 is insulatedly and resiliently supported while the other end of member 1| is fixedly secured to the front carriage plate 48. When the bread carriers and the carriage plates are moved downwardly, contact bridging member 68 will engage contact members 61 to thereby cause closing of an energizing circuit through the toast heating elements.

Means for holding the bread carriers in their lowered and toasting position may include a stud or short shaft 13 secured to the front carriage I} plate 49 and extending forwardly thereof and having a roller 15 rotatably mounted thereon at its forward end. A latch member 11 of substantiall L-shape, the form or shape of which is shown particularly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, is

pivotally mounted on a pivot pin I9 carried by a bracket-like supportin member 8| which is pivotally mounted on base plate 25 as by a short machine screw 83 to permit of turning movement in a horizontal plane. Latch member 11 is provided with a recess 85 formed between an angularly-extending surface 81 thereof and a substantially vertically-extending arm 89, all as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The latch member 11 is normally yieldingly biased in a counterclockwise direction by a tension spring 8| connected to say the lower end of arm portion 88 and to a lug on the left-hand end portion 93 of support 8|, said counter-clockwise movement being limited by the engagement of a depending arm 34 integral with latch 11 which engages the upper surface of member 8|. The right-hand end portion of member 8I- may be provided with an upstanding bar 85 to act as a guide for the latch 11. When the carriage plates and the carriers are moved downwardl roller 15 will initially engage the angularly-extending surface 81 of latch 11 at a point vertically displaced from the axis of pivot pin 19 so that latch member 11 will be caused to turn in a clockwise direction until the hook end of extension 89 will move over the roller 15 to an extent sufiicient to prevent upward return movement thereof as long as the latch 11 is held in its position to which it was actuated by the downward movement and engagement of roller 15 therewith as hereinbefore described.

Means for determining the duration of a toasting or cooking operation may comprise a mechanical timer 91 which may include a clock spring 99 mounted on an arbor IM and which may include further a train of gears all of which may be but finds a field of usefulness when adapted to operate with a constant speed timer in the control of the duration of a toasting or cooking operation as determined by a mechanical timer.

The arbor I 0| has mounted thereon a pinion I05 which pinion is adapted to be engaged by the teeth of a rack bar I01 which rack bar is adapted to move vertically relatively to the timer structure, being held in meshing position relatively to the pinion I05 b a grooved roller I09. The lower end of rack bar I01 is provided with a laterally-extending pin III and the lower end of rack bar I01 is adapted to move vertically in a track II3 which is of substantially channel shape, as shown more particularly in Fig. 5 of the drawngs.

It is desired to wind up the timer and more particularly the spring 89 by downward movement of the carriage plate and the bread carriers and in order to effect this I provide a pivotally mounted front plate H5 secured to the front carriage plate 49 as by a plurality of pivot pins II1 mounted in forward extension of plate 48, member II5 being of substantially channel shape in longitudinal section. The right-hand end portion of member 5 is rovided with a depending arm 9 which is normally adapted to have its lower end engage pin III- on rack bar I01 so that downward movement of member H9 will cause downward movement of rack bar I01 with resultant winding up of the mechanical timer.

As it is desired to cause disengagement of the lower end of arm H9 from pin III when the bread carriers have been moved into their downward position, I provide a spring arm I2I having its upper end mounted on member H5 and having its lower end depending therefrom and adapted to be engaged by the inclined-surface upper end portion of a bar I23 the lower end of which is fixedly mounted on the right-hand portion of support 8|. It may be here pointed out that the latch 11' pivotally mounted in bracket 8| has limited turning movement on pin or machine screw 83 in a horizontal plane as will be hereinafter referred to in detail. The relative positions of member I23 and the lower end of spring bar |2l are such that the plate II 5 will be turned on its pivot pins II1 to cause forward movement of the lower end of bar II! with resultant disengagement thereof from pin I II at substantially the time that roller 15 engages and is held by the latch member 11. A small tension spring I25 is connected to'member I I5 and to member 49 to normally yieldingly hold plate 5 in a position to cause the lower end of bar II8 to engage pin III as hereinbefore described.

The timer is provided with a detent lever I21 which has its lower end portion pivotaily mounted on a pivot pin I28 which pivot pin may be mounted on the frame structure of timer 81. The

.movement of armature core I 43 will be greater the drawings... When in this position the upper portion I3I is adapted to exten'd over thepath of travel of pin HI for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to in detail. It may be here pointed out that the position into which the detent lever arm I21 is normally yieldingly biased and the position of a right-hand extension I31 of latch member 11 may be such that the overlapping interengagement of the lower end surface of portion I33 and of member I31 may be as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. It is evident that only a relatively limited amount of turning movement of detent lever arm I21 in a clockwise direction is necessary to cause disengagement of latch portion I31 from the detent lever with re sultant quick upward movement of the bread carriers-"into non-toasting position" and attendant deenerglaztion of the heating elements.

My invention includes more particularly .voltage controlled electromagnetic means for varying the amount of overlapping interen'gagement of number I31 with the lower end of portion I 33 of the detent lever by movement of the latch member and its support in a horizontal plane whereby the amount of overlap may be varied.

I provide an electromagnet coil I33 which may be suitably secured against the front intermediate wall 31 by a bracket HI and this coil is electrically connected in parallel circuit relation relatively to the toast heating elements but is controlled by the switch comprising the contact bridging member 69 and the pair of contacts 91 hereinbefore described. It is evident that when a toasting operation is initiated as hereinbefore described, that coil I39 is energized.

I provide a magnetic armature core I43 movable within the coil I39 and which has its lower end pivotally connected with one portion I45 of a bell crank lever which includes in addition to arm I45 a second arm I41 extending substantially at right angles to arm I 45. The bell crank lever is pivotally mounted on a pivot pm I 49 supported by an extension I5I of bracket I48. Armature core I43 is normally yieldingly biased to a. lowered position by a compression spring I33 positioned within the coil I39. The left-hand end portion of member 93 is provided with a forked, upwardly-extending portion I55 which is adapted to receive a pin I51 fixedly mounted in the lower end of arm I41. Fig. 5 of the drawings will indicate that when armature core I43 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings with pin I51 in a forward position the bracket II will have its left-hand end relatively close to the front wall of the casing with its right-hand end relatively far away from the-front wall of the casing so that member I31 will be in the position shown by the broken lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings. This is the normal position of member I31 relatively to detent lever I 21 when the toaster is not energized. If the toast heating elements of the toaster are electrically connected to a. source of supply of electric energy which has a relatively low voltage, say on the order of 100 volts, the value of the current traversing the coil I39 is relatively small and only a small degree of upward movement of the armature core I43 will be effected with attendant relatively small motion of member I31 in a right-hand direction, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings. If, on the other hand, the toaster is electrically connected to a source of supply of abnormally high voltage, say on the order of 125 or even 130 volts, it is evident that the current traversing the coil I33 will be relatively large and the degree of upward with consequent greater turning movement of the latch on its pivot 33 with resultant position of member I31 as shown, for example, in Fig. '1 of the drawings. of turning movement of the bent lever arm I21 on its pivot pin I29 to be effected by upward movement of rack bar I91 and of the pin II I engageable with arm I21 will be much smaller to effect disengagement of the lever arm from the latch member I31 when the initial position of latch member I31 is as shown in the full lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings than would be the case if the initial position of member I31 had been as shown by the broken lines in Fig. '1. It is therefore evident that the voltage controlled electromagnet means hereinbefore described is efiective to immediately vary the position of the latch relatively to the detent engaged thereby and it is only necessary to ensure that contact bridging member 99 will cause energization of the toast heating elements and of coil I39 a short interval of time before the limit of downward movement of the vertically movable bread carrier parts has been reached so that detent member I31 may move freely relatively to the lower arcuate end surface of portion I33 of the detent lever before the latch and the detent are in engagement with each other.

As noted above it is, of course, possible to use instead of a constant speed mechanical timer an adjustable or variable speed timer and my invention includes both types of mechanical timers and when a variable speed timer is used it may be provided with an adjusting knob I59 mounted on a speed changing shaft I8I.

When a toaster is energized from a low voltage source of supply a longer time is required to toast a slice or slices of bread to a given degree than is the case when the toaster is energized from a high voltage source. The degree or amount of overlapping engagement of the latch with the detent is thus automatically and quickly changed in accordance with the voltage of the supply circuit, by electromagnetic voltage-controlled means to ensure substantially uniform toasting of slices of bread irrespective of different supply circuit voltages.

While I have illustrated and described a sin- It is evident that the degree gle embodiment only it is obvious that modiflcations may be made therein without departing from the scope of my invention and all such modifications clearly coming within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as being covered thereby.

I claim as my invention:

1. Means for controlling the duration of a toasting operation of an automatic electric toaster comprising a toast heating means, a bread carrier movable into toasting and non-toasting positions relatively to the toast heating means and normallyyield-ingly biased into non-toasting position, means to cause movement of the car.- rier into toasting position and a pivotally supported latch member for holding said carrier in toasting position, said duration controlling means including a timing means adapted to be energized simultaneously with movement of the carrier into toasting position, a pivotally-mounted detent member adapted to overlappingly engage the latch member to hold the latter in carrierholding position and adapted to be turned on its pivot by the timing means to be disengaged from the latch member and electromagneticaliy actuated means for causing movement of the latch 4 g asses" I said timing means.

2. Means for controllinglthe duration of a toasting operation of arrautomatic electric toaster comprising a toast heating means, a control switch therefor normally yieldingly biased to open position, means to cause closing of said switch to initiate a toasting operation and a pivotally supported latch member for holding the switch in closed position, said duration controlling means including a timing means adapted to be energized loqinmltaneously with closure of the control switch,

a pivotally-supported detent member adapted to ovenlappingly engage with the latch member to hold the latter in switch-closing position and adapted to be turned by the timing means to disenslse the latch member therefrom and electromagnetically actuated means controlled in accordance with the voltage applied to the toast heating means for varying the amount of overlap of the latch and detent members to vary the length of time to eifeot disengagement therebetween.

3. Means for controlling the duration of a toasting operation of an automatic electric toaster comprising a toast heating means, a control switch therefor normally yieldingly biased to open position, means to cause closing of said switch to initiate a toasting operation and a pivotally supported latch member for holding the switch in closed position, said duration-controlling means including a timing means adapted to be energized simultaneously with closure of the control switch, a pivotally-supported detent member adapted to overlappingly engage with the latch member to hold the latter in switch-closo ing position and adapted to be turned by the timing means to disengage the latch member therei'rom and electmmagnetically-aotuated means controlled in accordance with the voltage applied to the toast heating means for causing movement of the latch member before engagement thereof with the detent member to decrease the amount oi overlap whereby to reduce the length of time required by the timing means to eflect release of th detent member from the latch member with increase in the voltage applied to the toast heating means.

4. Means for controlling the duration of a toasting operation of an automatic electric toaster comprising a toast heating means, a bread carrier movable into toasting and non-toasting positions relatively to the toast heating means and normally yieldingly biased into non-toasting position, means to cause movement of the carslot into toasting position and a pivotally supported latch member for holding said carrier in toasting position, said duration controlling means including a mechanical timer adapted to be wound by said carrier-moving means, a pivotally-mounted detent member adapted to overlappinglyengagessidlatchmemberandtobeturned through a predeternlned angle by the timer to efl'eot ent thereof from the latch member and elecircmsgneticelly-actuated means connected with the latch member for moving the same before engagement thereof with the detent member relatively to th detent member to decrease the length of time required by the.

timer to eflect disengagement between the latch and detent members with increased voltage applied to the toaster.

5. Means for controlling the duration of a toasting operation of an automatic electnic toaster comprising a toast heating means, a bread carrier movable into toasting and non-toastingposl-tions relatively to the toast heating means and normally yieldingly biased into non-toastinir position, means to cause movement of the carrier into toasting position and a pivotally supported latch member for holding said carrier in toasting position, said duration controlling means including a timing means adapted to be energized simultaneously with movement of the carrler into toasting position, a pivotally-mounted detent member adapted to overlappingly engage the iatch member to hold the latter in carrierholdlng position and adapted to be turned on its pivot by the timing means to be disengaged from the latch member and electmmagnetically actuated means for causing movement of one of said members relatively to the other member before engagement therebetween to vary the amount of overlap of said members and thereby the length of time before disengagement therebetween by said timmg means.

6. Means for controlling the duration of a toasting operation of an automatic electric toaster comprising a toast heating means, a control switch therefor normally yieldingly biased to open position, means to cause closing of said switch to initiate a toasting operation and a pivot/ally supported latch member for holding th switch in closed position, said duration controlling means including a timing means adapted to be energized simultaneously with closure of the control switch, a pivotally-supported detent mem- 

